The Colorado Bureau of Investigation used genetic genealogy to identify human remains as those of a homicide victim who had been missing for 10 years.

The skeletal remains were discovered in May 2024 by a fisherman near a river at the Deer Creek Campground in Park County. The remains were found with clothing and a gunshot wound to the skull, according to a news release.

By using genetic genealogy, police determined the remains showed Czechloslavak ancestry and created a facial reconstruction in December.

The police then connected the remains to the missing person case of John Cizek, 71, who has been missing since 2016. The remains were confirmed as Cizek’s after police tested DNA from Cizek’s California home and concluded it was a match.

Cizek is believed to have died in June 2016. Police believe he was killed by David Little, 40, who was on the run from police at the time of the killing after being suspected of sexually assaulting a child, according to the release. When Little was finally apprehended by police, he was found in possession of Cizek’s credit card and ID. Cizek’s RV was later found in Jefferson County with Little’s dog inside.

Surveillance footage from a store in Alamosa showed Cizek enter his RV shortly after noon on June 12, 2016. Several minutes later, the footage showed Little arrive at the same store and enter the RV before the vehicle drove off soon after. This was the last confirmed sighting of Cizek.

The footage, along with financial records showing Little had made purchases with Cizek’s credit card, was enough evidence for police to charge Little with killing Cizek, despite not locating his body, police said in the release.

Little committed suicide in October 2016 while in the Jefferson County jail, police said in the release.

CBI officials thanked the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Park County Coroner David Kintz, Golden Police Department, the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Jefferson County Regional Crime Laboratory, Crimestoppers, the CBI Arvada Lab, Bode Laboratory and United Data Connect “in bringing this 10-year-old missing person case to a final identification.”